Knitting device and process of knitting



Sept. 6, 1938- J. H. WCOLHISER 2,129,393

KNITTING DEVICE AND PROCESS OF KNITTING Filed May 25, 1936 INVENTOR.

BY 7 gg g/m b M'ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES KNITTING DEVICE AND PROCESS OF KNITTING Jay H. Woolhiser, Elmhurst, N. Y. Application May 25, 1936, Serial No. 81,569

6 Claims.

My invention relates to a hand knitting device and has for its object to provide an improved device commonly known as a knitting spool as will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and .of which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a'device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail view of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified portion of the device.

Referring to the drawing, a. knitting spool is constructed of a cylinder I0, which may be referred to as a body tube, a sleeve II having mounted thereon a plurality of latch type knitting needles I2, and a pair of yarn carriers or guides I3 and I4 which are secured at their lower ends to the body tube ID. The needles I2 are of a well-known type comprising a shank I5, a hook I6 at one end of the shank, and a latch II which is pivoted at one end in a slot in the shank I5 just below the hook I6.v The latch II normally drops downwardly by gravity to the position shown in Fig. 1. When the latch I1 is carried upwardly, it guards the hook I6 as shown in Fig. 2. The sleeve II is of a slightly larger internal diameter than the external diameter of the body tube I0 so that the sleeve II may slide and turn with respect to the body tube. Four latch needles I2 are secured symmetrically on the sleeve I I with their hook ends projecting upwardly. The sleeve I I is placed on the body tube II] with the hook ends of the needles toward the upper end of the body tube. On the body tube III are secured the lower ends of the pair of diametrically opposite yarn carriers or guide members I3 and I4. The upper ends of the guide members I3 and I4 extend above the upper end of the body tube I0 and each is formed with a slot I8 in the upper end. I prefer to form the parts of this device of metal and secure the parts together by welding or soldering. However, it will be understood that any suitable material may be used as desired for the several parts. The latch needles I2 are a standard article of manufacture for use in knitting machines and are made of hardened steel.

In Fig. 3 is shown a body tube of open-work structure formed by an upper ring 26 and a lower ring 2| connected by upright rods I9. The yarn carriers 22 and 23 are each formed by a length of stiff wire. The lower end of each length of wire is welded to an upright rod 2I, and the upper end of each wire is formed into a loop 24 to hold and guide the yarn. A needle sleeve as described in connection with Fig. 1 may be placed over the upper end of this modified body tube Where it may be turned and reciprocated on the upright rods 2|.

It will be understood that any number of needles I2 and any number of yarn carriers I3 and I4 may be provided. I have illustrated a device using four needles and two yarn carriers which is most convenient for ordinary purposes. With this device, knitting may be done with either one or two yarns. If it is desired to use only one yarn, the end of the yarn is dropped through the center of the body tube from top to bottom so that it projects from the lower end. With the needle sleeve II near the upper end ofthe body tube III, the yarn is looped successively around the needles I2 and then placed in the slot I 8 of one of the yarn carriers I3 or I4. It is preferable, however, to use two yarns; both of the same color for solid color work, or of different colors for interwoven color work. Two yarns 1-1" are knotted together several inches from their ends 6-6 toform a knot 4, as shown in Fig. 1. The yarn endsB-B are dropped downwardly through the body tube I!) so the knot 4 is at the upper end of the body tube and the ends 6-6 dangle from the lower end of the body tube. The body tube II] is grasped in one hand with the thumb holding the needle sleeve II at the upper end of the body tube. The end of one yarn just below the knot 4 is looped at 5 around one needle, and the end of the other yarn is looped at 5' around the diagonally opposite needle. Each yarn II above the knot 4 is placed in a slot of one of the yarn guides I3 and M.

Knitting now proceeds by revolving the needle sleeve I I one-half turn. This causes each yarn to engage two of the needles I2 above the open latches II. The sleeve II is now drawn downwardly on the body tube I0 untilthe hooks I6 of the needles I2 are drawn below the upper edge of the body tube I0. As the needles I2 move downwardly, the loops or stitches on the shanks I5 of the needles engage the under sides of the latches I'I, causing these latches to move upwardly and guard the hooks I6. At the same time, the yarn which was engaged above the latches I'I becomes engaged beneath the hooks I6, as illustrated in Fig. 2. When the sleeve II has been drawn down sufficiently far, the loops or stitches already on the needles I2 slide upwardly over the latches II which guard the hooks I6 and take their place in the knitted work. The needle sleeve II is then raised toward the upper end of the body tube It), causing the new loops formed by the yarn engaged under the hooks IE to move downwardly over the latches ll, causing these latches to open, and assume another starting position beneath the latches II. This process is repeated and the knitted work descends through the body tube Ill and out at the lower end thereof. Although preferable, it is not required that the yarns 77 be actually knotted together at 4, for by merely forming the loops 55' and placing the yarns l---'!' in the guides 13 and M, the work will be started upon manipulation of the ring of needles as previously described. Sufficient tension may be maintained on the depending ends of the yarn, or the knitted goods when it extends from the bottom of the device, by the fingers of the hand holding the device. If desired, however, a small weight may be attached to the goods below the lower end of the body tube In as well known.

Every time the needle sleeve H is drawn downwardly, four stitches are made. Thus, this device has an advantage of speed, being at least four times faster than hand operated devices of this nature known in the prior art. The knitting speed is further increased and the use of differentcolored yarns made possible by provision of plural yarn guides or carriers whereby the needle sleeve I I need be rotated only a part of a revolution. It will be understood that the needle mounting ring and the yarn guides make it possible to hold the device in hand and manipulate the needles in unison. A device of this nature has been previously proposed in which the needles are reciprocated individually and the yarn carried to the needles by hand. I am also aware that automatic knitting machines have been proposed operating on the principle generally involved in my device, but the complexities of these machines make them unsuitable for a hand knitting device or a toy.

It will be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of my invention which is therefore not limited to that which is shown in the drawing and described in the specification but only as indicated in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A hand knitting device comprising a tubular member, a sleeve turnable and slidable on said member, a plurality of knitting needles secured to said sleeve, and one or more yarn guides fixed on said tubular member.

2. A hand knitting device comprising a member having an opening therethrough, a second member turnable and reciprocable on said first member, a plurality of knitting needles secured to said second member, and one or more yarn guide members fixed on said first member.

3. A knitting device including a first member, a second member turnable and slidable on said first member and constructed and arranged to be grasped by hand, and a plurality of knitting needles fastened on said second member so as to move therewith.

A device of the class described including a ring of automatic knitting needles, a single member for both turning and reciprocating said needles in unison, and at least one yarn guide for each two of said needles.

5. A hand knitting device comprising a body tube, a ring slidable and revoluble on the outside of said tube, four latch type knitting needles secured substantially symmetrically on said ring and all extending toward one end of said tube, and two yarn guides fixed on substantially diametrically opposite sides of said tube and secured thereto at a distance from said end thereof and extending in spaced relation to said tube and beyond said end thereof. i

6. In a process of knitting with the aid of a ring of automatic knitting needles, a method of starting a piece of knitted work which includes knotting together a plurality of yarns a distance from their ends, looping each of said yarns on one side of the knot around a respective needle, and operating said needles to draw yarn on the other side of the knot through said loops to form new loops on the needles.

JAY H. WOOLHISER. 

